2017 Recruiting Class Rankings: No. 51 to 75

75. Fresno State Bulldogs

Interestingly enough, Jeff Tedford didn’t load up on the offensive side – that might be for next year. The best players are on the defensive side with end Emeka Ndoh and T.J. Mauga, and defensive backs Wylan Free and Earl Chambers, the foundation to start turning this whole thing around. There’s bulk, but next year there need to be more stars.

Best Prospect You Should Know: WR Derrion GrimStrongest Position: Defensive Back

74. Toledo Rockets

This isn’t quite your typical MAC recruiting class. They’re real, live starters who should be some of the league’s best talents over the next few years. The defensive backs are good, the ends are great, and tackles Tyrone Chambers and Kedonis Haslem are going to form the foundation of the interior. Next year, the offensive playmakers have to kick in.

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Best Prospect You Should Know: DT Tyrone ChambersStrongest Position: Defensive End

73. Colorado State Rams

It’s a good class, but almost all the eggs are being put in the basket of offensive skill players. The best prospects are for the O, but if QB Justice McCoy, RB Marcus McElroy, WR Warren Jackson and TE Griffin Hammer don’t rock, it’s uh-oh time. The bodies are for the defensive side, especially at defensive back along with a solid group of tackles.

Best Prospect You Should Know: CB Christian CumberStrongest Position: Defensive Back

72. Houston Cougars

Give Major Applewhite a little while to work. The loss of Tom Herman was a problem for the class, but there’s just enough to get excited about with a good group of defensive ends and some solid linebacker prospects. Where’s the offense? Where are the dangerous playmakers? They’re not quite there, with almost nothing for the passing game, while hoping for QB Bryson Smith to be a factor.

Best Prospect You Should Know: DE Bryan JonesStrongest Position: Defensive End

71. California Golden Bears

It’s a smallish first class under new head coach Justin Wilcox, but he still got a few outstanding Pac-12 playmakers with QB Chase Garbers along with Elijah Hicks, with the skills to work at receiver, running back or defensive back. Next year is when the bigger haul of prospects comes in, but for now, the defensive ends are okay, and a few versatile options should give the staff something to start with.

Best Prospect You Should Know: QB Chase GarbersStrongest Position: Defensive End

70. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

There might not be a slew of future All-ACC stars, but there are plenty of good starters with upside, loading up on solid linebackers as part of a good haul of defensive options. Where are the offensive guys to build around? RB Christian Beal might be a start, but if you’re looking for firepower, it’s not in this class.

Best Prospect You Should Know: DE Michael AllenStrongest Position: Linebacker

69. San Diego State Aztecs

It might not be a special class, but it should work for what the program needs to restock the shelves. The two-time defending Mountain West champion cranked up the defensive front with a few excellent recruits on the end, a few phenomenal defensive backs, and considering it’s a Rocky Long team, the running backs are covered getting Chance Bell and …

Best Prospect You Should Know: RB Kaegun WilliamsStrongest Position: Defensive End

68. Vanderbilt Commodores

How quickly can the offensive gets make a difference? It might take a little while, but at least the foundation is there for the offensive line with several good options to build around. It’s Vanderbilt, so the defense gets the most help with a boatload of tremendous ends along with a few outstanding linebackers, starting with Dimitri Moore and helped by Colin Anderson and Feleti Afemui.

Best Prospect You Should Know: QB Jacob FreeStrongest Position: Linebacker

67. Boston College Eagles

The five quarterbacks coming are okay – C.J. Lewis is, potentially, a good one – but the rest of the skill players coming in are among the strongest yet under the current coaching staff. The receivers are good, the running backs are potentially great, and the tight ends are solid. It’s a light day for the defense – that’ll change in the 2018 class.

66. UCF Knights

Scott Frost came up with a huge group of running backs, while the defensive ends coming in should be strong enough to get into the backfield on a regular basis over the next few years. With Emmanuel Greene and Marlon Williams, along with TE Gabriel Davis, the passing game got its future stars. Can QB Darriel Mack be the one to run it all? The pieces are there around him.

Best Prospect You Should Know: RB Cordarrian RichardsonStrongest Position: Running Back

65. Cincinnati Bearcats

New head coach Luke Fickell kicked it in late, loading up on a slew of late signings and commitments to give the Bearcats the talent needed to build the new era around. The secondary might be the strongest area, but the O line class is strong, and RB Jaelen Greene and WR Javan Hawes have starter potential in the near future.

Best Prospect You Should Know: S R.J. PottsStrongest Position: Defensive Back

64. Purdue Boilermakers

With a late influx of linebackers coming in on Signing Day, and with the receivers flocking in to be a part of the Jeff Brohm offense, it’s a fantastic first step under the new head coach. The weapons are there now for the near future, so the focus will quickly shift on who’s going to be the main man a few years down the road. In comes Mike Alstott’s QB son – Griffin Alstott, and …

63. Kansas Jayhawks

It’s not going to bring the Big 12 championship to Lawrence, but it’s a decent enough class to hope to be more competitive. Getting RB Octavius Matthews on Signing Day helps, but the offense only got a few good prospects. The idea is to start stopping the high-powered Big 12 passing games on a more regular basis, and all the defensive backs being signed on shows it.

Best Prospect You Should Know: RB Dominic WilliamsStrongest Position: Defensive Back

62. Boise State Broncos

Welcome to the future of the pass defense. The Broncos went with loads and loads of defensive backs, but didn’t do much about the line or the linebacking corps. There might not be a slew of top skill players coming in, but in QB Chase Cord, RB Drake Beasley, and WR Octavius Evans, there are more options and more position battles to come.

Best Prospect You Should Know: CB Jermani BrownStrongest Position: Defensive Back

61. Memphis Tigers

Mike Norvell is doing what he can to make Memphis the star of the American Athletic Conference, coming up with a few superstar recruits – Obinna Eze might be the league’s best tackle prospect, and T.J. Carter the top corner – as the keys to the bulk options for the O line and secondary. There’s not much coming in for the high-octane offense, but most of those pieces are in place. Going O is for next year, along with getting more help for the defensive front.

Best Prospect You Should Know: TE Nick RobinsonStrongest Position: Defensive Back

60. Virginia Cavaliers

It’s a solid effort by Bronco Mendenhall after getting a full year to work. Can Lindell Stone be the quarterback who takes over the attack? Will the running back combination of P.K. Kier and Lamont Atkins help out a woeful running game right away? The offensive line got the most help, and the defense wasn’t ignored – with the stars on the ends – but if the skills guys don’t rock, this class could set the program back.

59. Indiana Hoosiers

The defense improved in a big way last season, and this class should help the cause for the next several years with a strong group of defensive ends, a few terrific defensive tackles, and an overall emphasis on stopping the ball. There isn’t much coming for the offensive pop, but for now, that’s okay. Scoring points hasn’t been much of a problem lately for IU. The more to help out the D, the better.

Best Prospect You Should Know: DT Juan HarrisStrongest Position: Defensive Line

58. Kansas State Wildcats

It’s a typical Kansas State class, but without the boatload of JUCO transfers to help the cause right away. Getting a few fantastic Signing Day prospects in LB Daniel Green and RB/DB/WR Tancey Richardson boosts things up, but it’s a good all-around class for several spots. The best players are on the D line, but the secondary got its share of talent – the defensive prospects are stronger than the offensive gets.

Best Prospect You Should Know: LB Daniel GreenStrongest Position: Defensive End

57. Syracuse Orange

Dino Babers came up with a little bit of something across the board, cranking up the defensive front with a few good linebackers along with some good gets for the line. The O line will need bulk and help in 2018, and a few stronger receivers have to be a part of the fun next year, too, but Ravian Pierce is a good-looking tight end and Nykeim Johnson is a potentially dangerous target if the Orange hit the jackpot with …

Best Prospect You Should Know: QB Tommy DevitoStrongest Position: Linebacker

56. BYU Cougars

The Cougars might have just missed on a few good prospects, but they landed some outstanding signings – especially for the defense – on Signing Day, including Alden Toa for the defensive front to go along with Langi Tuifua. Getting into the backfield and beefing up the defensive line is the goal, and it’s by far the strength of the class. There’s not much coming in for the running game, but the tight ends are terrific.

Best Prospect You Should Know: S Chaz Ah YouStrongest Position: Defensive End

55. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

It’s a bad year to try making any noise in the Big Ten East recruiting world, but Chris Ash came up with a class that should make the program far, far better and stronger. The passing game is going to get going – eventually – with a slew of terrific receiving options, while Tyshon Fogg leads a good group of linebackers as the strength of the D.

54. NC State Wolfpack

It’s an interesting class that’s probably a whole lot better than this in reality, but just not how it looks on paper – if that makes any sense. The defensive line has a future anchor in Grant Gibson, and QB Matt McKay is a good prospect to work with a nice running back tandem in Erin Collins and Nakia Robinson. The key should be the bulk of the pass rushing ends to play around with – the bodies are there to hope for a few to rise from the pack.

Best Prospect You Should Know: WR Antoine ThompsonStrongest Position: Defensive Line

53. Iowa Hawkeyes

Tackle Tristan Wirfs is the star for the offensive side, and RBs Kyshaun Bryan and Ivory Kelly-Martin are good, but the better prospects are on the defensive side. Landing Daviyon Nixon on Signing Day boosts up an already great group of defensive ends, while the secondary came up with a slew of strong players who fit the Hawkeye playmaking mold. Like most Iowa classes, go beyond the recruiting services – but the talent really is there.

Best Prospect You Should Know: DE A.J. EpenesaStrongest Position: Defensive End

52. TCU Horned Frogs

The Horned Frogs want to keep up the offensive pace. The receiving corps is loaded with several future starters, while QB Shawn Robinson should be a statistical superstar. OT Wes Harris will be a starter in the near future as the key part of a strong line class.

51. Duke Blue Devils

It’s a class for the infrastructure. The offensive line is loaded up with prospects for the future, and the defensive line gets a ton of help – especially on the ends – but the secondary got the bulk of the stars. If it’s not the best class of defensive backs in recent Duke history, it’s right up there.

Best Prospect You Should Know: DE Drew JordanStrongest Position: Safety